Circular No. 6504
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
IAUSUBS@CFA.HARVARD.EDU or FAX 617-495-7231 (subscriptions)
BMARSDEN@CFA.HARVARD.EDU or DGREEN@CFA.HARVARD.EDU (science)
Phone 617-495-7244/7440/7444 (for emergency use only)X1730-333
R. Remillard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),
reports for the RXTE ASM Team at MIT and the Goddard Space Flight
Center: "The rapid burster X1730-333 is again seen to be in x-ray
outburst. Since the end of the previous outburst (1996 May 7), the
daily average measurements with the RXTE All Sky Monitor were
generally upper limits near 10 mCrab. On Oct. 30, the average flux
suddenly increased to 178 +/- 8 mCrab (2-12 keV). During the
interval Oct. 31-Nov. 7, the ASM coverage is very sparse, due to
occasions of source confusion and also to the details of the RXTE
pointing program. Yet there are additional detections, leading to
a measurement of 115 +/- 10 mCrab on Nov. 7."
XTE J1856+053
F. E. Marshall, Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics,
Goddard Space Flight Center (LHEA/GSFC); K. Ebisawa, Universities
Space Research Association and LHEA/GSFC; R. Remillard, Center for
Space Research and Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology; and A. Valinia, National Research Council and LHEA/
GSFC, report the discovery of a new x-ray source during a survey of
the galactic ridge using the Proportional Counter Array on the
Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer: "The 2- to 10-keV flux was about 66
mCrab on each of five scans on Sept. 17 and 18. The best-fit
position is R.A. = 18h56m39s, Decl. = +5 19'.8 (equinox 2000.0;
systematic uncertainty about 0.03 degree). Retrospective analysis
of daily averaged fluxes with the ASM on RXTE shows that the source
was first detected on Sept. 10, peaked during Sept. 15-17 at about
35 mCrab (2-12 keV), and gradually dimmed to about 7 mCrab on Oct.
31. The ASM light curve is available at
http://space.mit.edu/XTE/ASM_lc.html. Observations with imaging x-
ray instruments and at other wavelengths are urged to identify this
source."
COMET 118P/SHOEMAKER-LEVY 4
Total visual magnitude estimates: Oct. 14.08 UT, 14.0 (K.
Sarneczky, Raktanya, Hungary, 0.44-m reflector); Nov. 7.37, 13.0
(A. Hale, Cloudcroft, NM, 0.41-m reflector); 9.15, 13.5 (Sarneczky);
11.36, 13.1 (Hale).
(C) Copyright 1996 CBAT1996 November 13 (6504) Daniel W. E. Green